Wood, Maurice A.P. 1916-2007 (Maurice Wood, Maurice Arthur Posonby Wood)

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born August 26, 1916; died June 24, 2007. Minister, bishop, church official, politician, and author. Wood was ordained an Anglican minister in 1941 and served the church as an active member of the clergy for nearly fifty years, most visibly as the bishop of Norwich from 1971 to 1985. He remained staunchly conservative and traditional throughout his ministry, though he reportedly yielded somewhat to changing social attitudes toward the end of his career. Wood struck up a friendship with American evangelist Billy Graham in the 1950s, sharing the stage with him on several occasions in England, the United States, and even Japan. Like Graham, he believed in the power of personal conversion; like many conservative clergy, he vigorously opposed the ordination of women. Wood's early career included parish appointments followed by wartime service as a chaplain to the marine contingent of the Royal Navy, for which he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for bravery, followed by ten years as the principal of a London theological college. His service to the greater church included more than thirty years' work with the assembly and synod, the governing bodies of the Anglican Church, where he reportedly felt no qualms about defending his conservative convictions to all comers. Hs did the same as a member of the House of Lords from 1975 to 1985. Wood has been described as an outgoing public figure, whose belief in the value of face-to-face contact extended beyond the rectory and into the public square. He was also a man of letters, the author or more than a dozen books. Wood's writings, many of which were completed in retirement in the late 1980s, include Like a Mighty Army, Comfort in Sorrow, How Can I Accept Christ?, How Can I Be Sure I Am a Christian?, How Can I Find God?, How Can I Grow in the Christian Life?, and This Is Our Faith.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Times (London, England), June 28, 2007, p. 76.